UAE participates in 61st Commission on the Status of Women in New York

NEW YORK, 13th March, 2017 (WAM) -- Najla bint Mohammed Al Awar, Minister of Community Development, is leading the UAE delegation to the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations in New York from 13th to 24th March, titled "Women’s Economic Empowerment in a Changing World of Work".

The UAE delegation at the event comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Community Development, the General Women’s Union and the Emirates Gender Balance Council.

"Women’s economic empowerment represents one of the cornerstones for achieving the 2030 sustainable development goals, including eliminating poverty," said Al Awar, while highlighting that women and girls represent half of the world’s population and their efficient contribution to the development process.

She added that available statistics highlight the gender gap reduction in the labour market that could increase global gross income in 2025 to US$28 trillion, which will contribute to achieving prosperity, stability, security and peace.

She stated that the UAE leadership strongly believes in the fundamental role of women in the process of sustainable development. She noted that the government and relevant national authorities have promoted positive models of women’s work by providing a safe and encouraging work environment by guaranteeing their legal protection, supporting their participation in decision making and enabling their pursuit of education. She added that women represented 70 percent of university graduates, 46.6 percent of the total labour force, 66 percent of public sector employees and 30 percent of decision-making positions, while 12,000 UAE businesswomen achieved projects worth $15 billion.

Noura Al Suwaidi, Director of General Women’s Union, stressed the importance of the 61st session of the CSW, and the issues to be discussed that relate to enhancing the status of women in Arab countries.

"There is an urgent need to undertake the necessary measures to protect women’s rights during armed conflicts, which represents a current priority," she added.

She stated that the General Women’s Union supports the Al Manama declaration that was issued last February, after the meetings of the 36th session of the Arab Women’s Commission at the League of Arab States, and the preparatory meetings for the 61st session of the CSW, which adopted a range of recommendations that include women’s economic empowerment in a changing work environment, a manual issued for Arab Parliaments and adopting Al Manama as the Arab women’s capital for this year.